Reading Poison Study
by haveadrinkmylove
Summary: In order to prevent a rising threat that has an eerily familiar resemblance to some of the shadows in Yelena's past, Yelena, Valek, Leif, Perl, Esau, Ari, and Janco, have been gathered to read a set of books. Can they learn what is needed from the past, to prevent it taking over their future?
1. Prologue

_I really enjoy the stories where the characters read the original books, yet I noticed there were none of these for Poison Study. This is my attempt to fill that gap and I hope that I have managed to create a plausible scenario. I will attempt to stay in character as best I can, and hope that I can make something enjoyable. Of course none of the characters are mine, and everything in bold, is directly from Ms. Snyder whom I hold in the utmost regard._

_Read on, and enjoy!_

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_Prologue_

Yelena stood slowly, rubbing her head tiredly in an attempt to sooth the dull throbbing in her temples. She frowned and looked around in confusion. The small room in which she found herself was certainly not where she had fallen asleep, nor that she could remember, had she fallen asleep surrounded by quite so many people. Most of them were asleep as well but to her surprise and confusion many of them were people who did not know each other, or outright distrusted each other. They were in a small room filled with chairs and cushions On the table in the middle of the room was a stack of three books, one with a red cover, another with a green, and the last with a golden orange. Turning her eyes to the people, Yelena frowned deeper. Last she remembered she had just arrived back to the keep after seeing Valek off and dealing with Cahill's final jab. What she certainly did not remember was being in this room, which seemingly had no doors or windows, with her brother, her parents, Ari, and Janco.

"By your expression," a smooth familiar voice interrupted from behind her, "I don't suppose that you can explain why we are here?" Yelena turned and despite the unusual circumstance, she couldn't stop the brilliant smile that erupted on her face at the sight of the one person she had missed in her count. She embraced her lover tightly before pulling back and shaking her head. Valek sighed and nodded slightly, having expected that, and perched on the back of the couch that Janco and Ari lay sprawled out on.

The others were starting to stir now, and the Sitians sat up, Leif and Yelena's parents still watching Valek warily. Perl's hand went immediately to the fire amulet still around her neck and she looked to Yelena, also hoping for some sort of explanation. Before she could answer, Valek crossed between them, stooping to investigate the books as the rest of the sleepers shook off their sleep

He frowned slightly, picking them up and reading their titles aloud, "Poison Study, Magic Study, and Fire Study..." He turned the first one over, reading the back of the book and his sapphire eyes widened with surprise and barely restrained curiosity.

"What is it?" Yelena asked, but he didn't answer immediately, opening the book and letting a sheet of paper float out from where it had been wedged between the pages.

Ari picked it up, reading aloud to the group. "Danger is coming. Something dragged from the past into the present, by the future. In order to face it, you must understand all three. Do not doubt the truth of what you read, for although it is tainted by perspective, it is honest at every stage. -Moon Man"

Yelena rolled her eyes at the vagueness of the not, it really was just like Moon Man. "What does he mean?" She looked to Valek, "what are those books?"

Valek looked at her in amusement, though he was obviously still on edge, "You don't know?." She blinked at him uncomprehendingly and he chuckled and gestured for her to sit, "We might as well start reading to explain," He said, glancing at the blank space of wall where the door had been, "I don't think we're getting out till we finish."

Janco interrupted, "I'm sorry, that's great and all, but I am still on the how did we get here part?"

Leif nodded, looking at him, "I agree with...? "He trailed off, looking at Janco questioningly.

"Janco"

"Leif Lianna Zaltanna"

"You're a formal kid."

"I'm not a kid."

"Sure, you're not." Janco teased, and grinned at him. "I guess that means you're Yelena here's brother?

"Yes, and who are you?" Leif questioned warily.

Perl interrupted, "That is a very good question. If we are going to be spending an indefinite amount of time together, I believe introductions are in order. Do sit down, dear," She ordered, pulling Yelena down beside her and Esau as Valek sat in a free chair. "I'll start. My name is Perl Lianna Zaltanna, Yelena and Leif's mother." She directed her words to the three Ixians although Valek at least had already known who she was. She looked to Esau.

Yelena's father ran a green stained hand through his hair before smiling at the Ixian's, although there was still a wary protectiveness in his eyes. "I am Esau, their father"

They went in a circle, though Valek, and Yelena didn't need to introduce themselves because everyone there at least knew who they were. When they got to Ari and Janco, Janco stood, bowing with a theatrical flourish, "You already heard my name, but I am Janco, Valek's second in command, and the teacher that taught Yelena everything she knows about self defense."

"You are also a liar." Ari said in amusement, tugging him backwards so that he lost his balance and fell back onto the couch. he turned to the group and smiled, "We are both Valek's second in command, and we were two of three of Yelena's self-defense instructors, though I wouldn't claim we taught her everything she knows."

People smiled as Janco made a face t Ari and Ari just shook his head, mumbling about maturity, and Janco's lack thereof.

Valek cleared his throat, interrupting the budding argument by the two, and raised the book, "As for how we got here, Leif. You and your family were taken with magic. Ari and Janco and I followed the man who had done it, moon man?Who I knew Yelena had trusted, when he told us to come. Now, shall we read?"

Leif looked at the book in confusion and he was certainly not the only one. "What is it, you didn't really explain at all."

The assassin smirked at him, "I guess we'll see when we start reading." He had to admit, he was very curious about what the books would say. They were from Yelena's perspective, after all.

Leif rolled his eyes but sat back, gesturing for him to begin


	2. Chapter 1

_Chapter one! As always, the characters belong to the lovely Ms. Snyder, as does anything in bold. Enjoy!_

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_Chapter one_

Chapter One:

**Locked in Darkness that surrounded me like a coffin, I had nothing to distract me from my memories.**

Valek began reading clearly,

**Vivid recollections threatened to ambush me whenever my mind wandered.**

**Encompassed by the blackness, I remembered white-hot flames stabbing at my face. Though my hands had been tied to a post that dug sharply into my back, I had recoiled from the onslaught. The fire had pulled away just before blistering my skin, but my eyebrows and eyelashes had long since been singed off.**

**"Put the flames out!" a man's rough voice ordered.**

As Valek had read Yelena had paled slightly and her lover's interest in the story as his anger grew. He wanted to know more of Yelena's thoughts, but hearing her perspective on the tortures she had gone through reawakened the fury he still held for the men who had done it. No one else in the room looked more than mildly concerned or confused. They hadn't realized yet who was narrating, or what exactly was going on. except Ari. He had been watching Yelena, and suspicion had grown in him about who was being discussed. his expression had darkened.

**I blew at the blaze through cracked lips. Dried by fire and fear, the moisture in my mouth had gone and my teeth radiated heat as if they had been baked in an oven.**

**"Idiot!" he cursed, "Not with your mouth. Use your mind. Put the flames out with your mind."**

**Closing my eyes I attempted to focus my thoughts on making the inferno disappear. I was willing to do anything, no matter how irrational, to persuade the man to stop.**

**"Try harder." Once again the heat swung near my face, the bright light blinding me in spite of my closed eyelids.**

**"Set her hair on fire." a different voice instructed. He sounded younger, and more eager than the other man. "That should encourage her. Here, Father, let me."**

**My body jerked with intense fear as I recognized that voice. I twisted to loosen the bonds that held me as my thoughts scattered into mindless buzzing. A droning noise had echoed from my throat, and grew louder until it had pervaded the room and quenched the flames.**

Yelena swallowed tightly, slipping her hand into her pocket and rubbing her thumb along the sheath of her switch blade to comfort herself. It wasn't that the words were triggering her memories, although they weren't pleasant to recall, it was the realization that all of these books were about her, and would be told from her perspective. It made her feel surprisingly vulnerable, no matter that she considered everyone in that room family.

Perl frowned deeply, murmuring quietly to Esau "Who would do something like this?" She was concerned, but it was still mild, disconnected. She didn't realize yet who was the victim in the story.

**The loud metallic clank of the lock startled me from my nightmarish memory. a wedge of pale yellow light sliced through the darkness then traveled along the stone wall as the heavy cell door opened. Caught in the lantern's glow, my eyes were seared by the brightness. I squeezed them shut as I cowered in the corner.**

**"Move it, rat, or we'll get the whip!" Two dungeon guards attached a chain to the metal collar around my neck and hauled me to my feet. I stumbled forward, pain blazing around my throat. As I stood on trembling legs, the guards efficiently chained my hands behind me and manacled my feet.**

**I averted my eyes from the flickering light as they led me down the main corridor of the dungeon. Thick rancid air puffed in my face. My bare feet shuffled through unidentifiable puddles of muck. **

**Ignoring the calls and moans of the other prisoners, the guards never missed a step, but my heart lurched with every word.**

**"Ho ho ho...someone's gonna swing!"**

**"Snap! Crack! Then your last meal slides down your legs!"**

**"One less rat to feed."**

**"Take me! Take me! I wanna die to!"**

Valek read well, but his anger and disgust were clear in his voice for those that knew him well. He was furious, and his expression had hardened like stone. Ari was the same. In fact, Janco was looking at him strangely. He felt bad for the character, but didn't understand yet why Ari seemed ready to kill.

**We stopped. Through squinted eyes I saw a staircase. In an effort to get my foot onto the first step, I tripped over the chains and fell. The guards dragged me up. The rough edges of the steps dug into my skin, peeling away exposed flesh on my arms and legs. After being pulled through two sets of thick metal doors I was dumped on the floor. Sunlight stabbed between my eyes. I shut them tight as tears spilled down my cheeks. It was the first time I had seen daylight in seasons.**

**This is it, I thought, starting to panic, but the thought that my executions would end my miserable existence in the dungeon calmed me.**

"That is horrible!" Perl interrupted Valek, "Even criminals shouldn't be treated so badly that they desire execution!" She said this with a glare at Valek as if he personally made sure that the dungeons were like this.

The assassin lowered the book slightly and looked at her quietly. "I agree." he murmured, his eyes flicking to Yelena and then back to her mother. "They are not supposed to be. I'm afraid I trusted others to maintain that and hadn't done enough myself to ensure that it was humane. That will change."

Perl looked at him in shock for a long minute before nodding, a more respectful look in her eyes. Valek had quiet obviously just risen in her esteem.

**Yanked to my feet again, I followed the guards blindly. My body itched from insect bites and from sleeping on dirty straw. I stunk of rat. Given only a small ration of water, I didn't waste it on baths.**

**Once my eyes adjusted to the light, I looked around. The walls were bare, without the fabled gold sconces and elaborate tapestries I had been told once decorated the castles main hallways. The cold stone floor was worn smooth in the middle. we were probably traveling along the hidden corridors used solely by servants and guards. As we passed two open windows, I glanced out with a hunger no food could satisfy. The bright emerald of the grass made my eyes ache. Trees wore cloaks of leaves. Flowers laced the footpaths and overflowed from barrels. The fresh breeze smelled like an expensive perfume and I breathed deeply. After the acidic smells of excrement and body odor, the taste of the air was like drinking a fine wine. Warmth caressed my skin. A soothing touch compared to the constantly damp and chilly dungeon.**

**I guessed It was the beginning of the hot season, which meant that I had been locked in that cell for five seasons, one season short of a full year. It seemed an excessively long time for someone scheduled for execution.**

Valek paused, but didn't speak. It had been excessively long. He had been waiting for an opportunity to give her another chance, but none had come up before then.

**Winded from the effort of marching with my feet chained, I was led into a spacious office. Maps of the territories of Ixia and the lands beyond covered the walls. Piles of books on the floor made walking in a straight line difficult. Candles in various stages of use littered the room, singe marks evident on several papers that had gotten too close to the candles flame. A large wooden table, strewn with documents and ringed by a half a dozen chairs occupied the center of the room. At the back of the office, a man sat at a desk. Behind him a square window gaped open, permitting a breeze to blow through his shoulder length hair.**

Valek paused again but this time in amusement, looking up and commenting. "I guess this is where I enter the story." He chuckled slightly, before lowering his eyes back to the page.

**I shuddered, causing the chains to clatter. From whispered conversations between the prison cells, I had determined that condemned prisoners were taken to an official to confess their crimes before being hanged.**

**Wearing black pants and a black shirt with two red diamonds on the collar, the man at the desk wore the uniform of an advisor to the Commander. His pallid face held no expression. As his sapphire-blue eyes scanned me, they widened in surprise.**

**Suddenly conscious of my appearance, I glanced down at my tattered red prison gown, and dirty bare feet, roughed by yellow calluses. Dirt-streaked skin showed through the rips in the thin fabric. My long black hair hung in greasy clumps.**

Esau's eyes narrowed suspiciously, and he glanced from Valek to his daughter.

**Sweat soaked, I swayed under the weight of the chains.**

**"A woman? The next prisoner to be executed is a woman?" His voice was icy. My body trembled at hearing the word executed out loud. The calm I'd established earlier fled me. I would have sunk sobbing to the floor if the guards weren't with me. The guards tormented anyone who showed any sign of weakness.**

**The man tugged at the black ringlets of his hair. "I should have taken the time to reread your dossier." He shooed the guards away, "You're dismissed."**

**When they were gone, He motioned me to the chair in front of his desk. The chains clanged as I perched on the edge.**

**He opened the folder on his desk and scanned the pages, "Yelena today may be your lucky day,"**

The room exploded. Anyone who hadn't yet figured out who was being talked about, started talking at once, some furious, some upset.

Perl dragged her daughter into a tight hug with an emotional sound. She didn't start crying but it was a close thing. Esau wrapped his arms around them both and stroked his wife's hair in a gentle attempt to calm her.

Janco swore and clenched his fists, while Leif simply glared daggers at Valek.

Finally, Yelena spoke, effectively cutting off the rest of the noise. She turned to Valek. "...Is it all like this, from my point of view?"

Valek marked his page and checked the other two books before grimacing. "I'm afraid so love."

She sighed and nodded, looking down. She spoke again after a moment. "...I don't know why Moon Man thinks we need to read these, but if he does then I trust him to have a reason. ...Even still I know there will be things in here that I never intended to tell some of you. I hope you will understand why, and not be angry over them, or over first impressions." She looked at Valek and gave him a small smile, remembering the rocky beginning to their relationship. He nodded in understanding, mouthing the word 'never'.

Others in the room nodded in agreement. In an attempt to lighten the mood, Janco joked. "Of course. You never intended to tell Valek of how you fell madly in love with me the day we met. Sadly it could never be..." He sighed theatrically, before being hit in the face with a pillow. Everyone laughed and the tension dissipated slightly.

Yelena smiled at Janco gratefully before looking at her parents, "...There will be some dark stuff in the book, but.. It could be good." She cast an amused glance at Leif, "You can see why I can still respect Ixia and the Commander and not be brainwashed."

Leif blushed deeply and made a face at her but grinned, "This should be good then. Cause so far it's not really proving anything to me." Yelena rolled his eyes and Leif stuck his tongue out at her.

Clearing his throat, Valek cut in with an amused smile, "Sorry to interrupt the sibling rivalry, I know you have quite a lot to catch up on, but perhaps we should finish the chapter? There seems to be another note at its end." Yelena and Leif laughed but nodded, and Yelena gestured for him to continue.

**I swallowed a sarcastic reply. An important lesson I had mastered during my dungeon stay was never to talk back. I bowed my head instead, avoiding eye-contact.**

**The man was quiet for a while, "Well-behaved and respectful. You're starting to look like a good candidate."**

**Despite the clutter of the room, the desk was neat. In addition to my folder and some writing implements, the only other items on the desk were two small, black statues glittering with streaks of silver- a set of panthers carved to lifelike perfection.**

**"You've been tried and found guilty of murdering General Brazell's only son, Reyad." He paused, stroking his temple with his fingers. "That explains why Brazell's here this week, and why he has been unusually interested in the execution schedule." The man spoke more to himself than to me.**

"You were the one to kill Reyad?" Perl asked in surprise. Yelena had left that out of her explanation when she told her of Brazell's schemes. Yelena hesitated but nodded slowly. Perl didn't seem upset, merely pulled her close again. "Good. And Yelena? Stop sugar coating things for me."

Leif repressed a laugh, meeting Yelena's eyes in amusement.

**Upon hearing Brazell's name, fear coiled in my stomach . I steadied myself with the reminder that I was soon to be out of his reach forever.**

**The territory of Ixia had come to power only a generation ago, but the rule had produced strict laws called the Code of Behavior. During peacetime- most of the time, strangely enough for the military- proper conduct didn't involve the taking of a human life. If someone committed murder, the punishment was execution. Self-preservation or accidental death were not considered acceptable excuses.**

Leif scowled but didn't interrupt.

**Once found guilty, the murderer was sent to the Commander's dungeon to await a public hanging.**

**"I suppose you're going to protest the conviction. Say you were framed or you killed out of self-defense." He leaned back in his chair, waiting with a weary patience.**

**"No, sir," I whispered, all I could manage from unused vocal cords, "I killed him."**

**The man in black straightened in his chair, shooting me a hard look. Then he laughed out loud. "This may work out better than I'd planned. Yelena, I'm offering you a choice. You can either be executed, or you can become Commander Ambrose's new food taster. His last taster died recently, and we need to fill the position."**

Esau nodded, his expectation being confirmed. "I didn't think that was a job you would have chosen," he murmured in his deep voice, "no matter how you may have presented it to your mother and me."

Yelena blushed faintly, and gave a wry smile. She looked at Valek and then frowned in confusion at his expression. His eyes were dark and thoughtful, a deep frown on his face. Yelena opened her mouth to ask him about it, but before she could speak, he continued reading.

**I gaped at him, my heart dancing. He had to be joking. He was probably amusing himself. Great way to get a laugh. Watch hope and joy shine on the prisoner's face, then smash it by sending the accused to the noose.**

Valek paused and looked at Yelena, "I would never do that. I am not that cruel."

"I know that now." Yelena smiled at him slightly, "Though you have to admit, we didn't meet on the best of terms to produce trust."

That startled a laugh and he smiled at her, sapphire eyes sparkling, "Quite."

**I played along. "A fool would refuse the job." My voice rasped louder this time.**

**"Well, it's a lifetime position. The training can be lethal. After all, how can you identify poisons in the Commander's food if you don't know what they taste like?" He tidied the papers in the folder.**

**"You'll get a room in the castle to sleep, but most of the day you'll be with the Commander. No days off. No husband or children. Some prisoners have chosen execution instead. At least then they know exactly when they're going to die, rather than guessing if it's going to come with the next bite." He clicked his teeth together, a feral grin on his face.**

"I honestly don't know what I would choose..." Leif murmured thoughtfully.

**He was serious. My whole body shook. A chance to live! Service to the Commander was better than the dungeon and infinitely better than the noose. Questions raced through my mind: I'm a convicted killer, how can they trust me? What would prevent me from killing the Commander or escaping?**

Valek smiled, glad to see that she had considered it, even if she hadn't asked.

**"Who tastes the Commander's food now?" I asked instead, afraid if I asked the other questions He would realize my mistake and send me to the gallows.**

**"I do. So I am anxious to find a replacement. Also the Code of Behavior states that someone whose life is forfeit must be offered the job."**

Leif glared at Valek. "What? Don't like risking your own neck?"

"Leif!" Yelena started, but Valek stopped her and looked at Leif seriously.

"I can serve the Commander in many ways, and believe me, I am much more useful to him in my other roles than as his taster. I do not mind risking my own life, what I do mind is risking my time. In order to both protect the commander, and Ixia as a whole, I have quite a lot I have to do. Not including any attempts to have any time for myself personally. In all honesty, the food taster's job is a second chance. I could easily do the job, or train one of Corps to do the job. By offering it to a prisoner it gives them a second chance." Valek narrowed his eyes at Leif slightly, but relaxed reluctantly adding. "Don't think I chose your sister at random. I give the choice to those who deserve another chance."

Leif didn't speak, watching Valek distrustfully. No matter what he said, Leif still viewed him as a murderer.

Valek sighed and began to read again.

**No longer able to sit still, I stood and paced around the room, dragging my chains with me. The maps on the walls showed strategic military positions. Book titles dealt with security and spying techniques. The condition and amount of candles suggested someone who worked late into the night.**

**I looked back at the man in the advisor's uniform. He had be Valek, The Commander's personal security chief and leader of the vast intelligence network for the Territory of Ixia.**

**"What should I tell the executioner?" Valek asked.**

**"I am not a fool."**

Valek set the book down in his lap, looking up. "That's the end of the chapter. "

Ari looked at him, "You said there was another note, sir?" Valek nodded and handed it to him. Ari opened it and read out, "Hopefully now you have an idea of why you are here. Along the way, more people will join you as they are needed. But for now, you probably want to know about accommodations as it is growing late, and you are probably all exhausted. If you look under the cushion in the corner, you will find a trap door. If you go down the ladder you will find a set of rooms for all of you. and for the people who may show up later. There is also a fully stocked larder as well. You should be comfortable enough while you read, and then decide what you are going to do. -Moon Man.

Janco hopped up eagerly and grinned at the group, "Well let's check it out! I'm hungry!"

Rolling his eyes, Ari stood, thumping Janco lightly on the back of his head. "You're always hungry."

Nodding to herself and finally releasing Yelena, Perl stood, "First dinner, then another chapter and then bed. We can read more in the morning". She nodded to herself firmly, before moving the indigo cushion off of the trap door and heading down.


	3. Chapter 2

_Hello again! So we have chapter two now! As always, the story and characters belong to__Ms. Snyder, as does anything in bold. I have a question for you guys though. Would you be opposed to me including pairings that aren't in the story? I wouldn't mess with Valek and Yelena of course, nor Perl and Esau. Let me know what you think! And if you would like me too, what are some you might like to see? I already have one planned, but I'm not sure whether to include it or not. **You should know that it's finals week and I'm moving back home so it might be a longer wait for the next update, but I will update.**_

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Chapter Two

The rest of the group started to follow Perl down into the other rooms, but Valek put a hand on Yelena's arm, stopping her. Once they were alone, he dragged her into a tight hug, closing his eyes and burying his face in Yelena's hair. Yelena looked up at him in surprise, touching his pale face lightly. "...Valek? Love, what's wrong?"

Valek looked down at her and there was a strange darkness in his eyes, a hidden emotion. He smoothed her hair back from her face gently. "...I'm just realizing how hard this is going to be." He murmured quietly. "For all of us. I will never forgive myself for not realizing what Brazell was doing sooner." He sighed and hugged her close again, kissing her hair lightly. Yelena frowned but didn't say what she was thinking, knowing she wouldn't be able to change his mind right now.

Finally, Yelena pulled back and looked up at him. "There are some good parts too." She smiled at him sweetly, "You finally get to understand some of the mysteries of that year," she teased playfully. That got a small smile, and she kissed him lightly. "Now come on, we better go eat dinner with everyone."

He nodded, and followed her down the ladder. The rooms below were spacious and comfortable. It was obvious whoever had furnished the rooms had been considerate of all who were going to be in the room. Although there were many pillows and cushions and other excessive items of comfort, the patterns were simple or plain altogether, and the entire room was done in shades of black and red. Again there were no windows. Instead there were eight doors, each with a name inscribed on it. They opened off of the living area in a half circle. The other side of the room led into the large kitchen and dining area, where Perl and Leif were already cooking. Janco was trying to help, but, mostly he was acting foolish. Ari shook his head in amusement, setting the table.

Valek crossed the room to investigate the doors. The first had his and Yelena's names on it, and peering inside, he saw that the room was simple, and defensible, very much in the Ixian style, and yet with more comfort. The bed looked softer, and there was dark red carpeting covering the floor. He stepped back and turned to look at the other doors. One for Perl and Esau, another for Leif, for Ari, and for Janco. The other three had plaques but they were blank, and when he tried the knobs they were locked, although the door had no visible locking mechanism. He sighed, frowning at the door slightly.

After dinner, the group sat down again in the sitting room, settling in on the comfortable cushions. Yelena and Valek sat together on one of the love seats, and they set the books on the table. Everyone looked at them with a sense of curiosity and dread. No one said anything for a long moment. Finally Esau sighed and picked up the book, "I guess I'll read next."

He cleared his throat, and began.

**Chapter Two**

**Valek snapped the folder closed. He walked to the door; his stride as graceful and light as a snow cat traversing thin ice. The guards waiting in the hall snapped to attention when the door opened. Valek spoke to them and they nodded. One guard came towards me. I stared at him, going back to the dungeon had not been part of Valek's offer. Could I escape?**

Valek chuckled and looked down at Yelena, "You agreed to the job less than two minutes ago and you're already looking for an escape?"

"Shut up"

**I scanned the room. The guard spun me around and removed the manacles and chains that had been draped around me since I'd been arrested.**

**Raw bands of flesh circled my bloody wrists. I touched my neck, feeling skin where there used to be metal. My fingers came away sticky with blood. I groped for the chair. Being freed of the weight of the chains caused a strange sensation to sweep over me; I felt as if I were going to float away or pass out. I inhaled until the faintness passed.**

Esau wasn't nearly as good as Valek was at keeping the emotion out of his voice. His anger came out in every word, and his expression was dark. He hated that Yelena had gone through that. That he had been unable to protect her.

**When I regained my composure, I noticed that Valek now stood beside his desk, pouring two drinks. An opened wooden cabinet revealed rows of odd shaped bottles and multi-colored jars stacked inside. Valek placed the bottle he was holding into the cabinet and locked the door.**

"You're being too obvious, Sir." Ari commented in amusement. "Why would you lock away just a simple drink? You're testing her."

Valek smiled at him slightly, not confirming or denying his assessment. Leif frowned at them both, looking at Ari. "What are you talking about?"

Ari shook his head, pointing to the book "You'll see."

**"While we're waiting for Margg, I thought maybe you could use a drink." He handed me a tall pewter goblet filled with an amber liquid. Raising his own goblet, he made a toast. "To Yelena, our newest food taster. May you last longer than your predecessor." **

**My goblet stopped short of my lips.**

"She passed," Ari commented again.

Valek nodded and looked down at Yelena with a small smile, "Those who trust too easily don't last long in the position. You were wary enough to be smart." She smiled.

**"Relax," he said, "it's a standard toast."**

**I took a long swig. The smooth liquid burned slightly as it slid down my throat. For a moment I thought my stomach was going to rebel. This was the first time I had taken something other than water. Then it settled.**

"Truly?" Valek asked thoughtfully, his blue eyes surprised. Yelena nodded, looking at him questioningly. "Then you did better than I thought. To be able to distinguish those flavors in an alcohol is hard enough when one is used to it. I am surprised you managed it so well on your first time."

**Before I could question him as to what exactly had happened to the previous taster, Valek asked me to identify the ingredients of the drink. Taking a smaller portion, I replied, "Peaches sweetened with honey"**

**"Good. Now take another sip. This time roll the liquid around your tongue before swallowing."**

**I complied and was surprised to taste a faint citrus flavor. "Orange?"**

**"That's right. Now gargle it."**

**"Gargle?" I asked. He nodded. Feeling foolish, I gargled the rest of my drink and almost spit it out. "Rotten oranges!"**

"Gross!" Janco grimaced in distaste, and Ari rolled his eyes.

**The skin around Valek's eyes crinkled as he laughed. He had a strong angular face, as if someone had stamped it from a sheet of metal, but it softened when he smiled. Handing me his drink, he asked me to repeat the experiment.**

**With some trepidation, I took a sip, again detecting the faint orange taste. Bracing myself for the rancid flavor, I gargled the drink and was relieved that gargling only enhanced the orange essence.**

**"Better?" Valek asked as he took the empty cup.**

**"Yes"**

**Valek sat down behind his desk, opening my folder once more. Picking up his quill, he talked to me while writing. "You just had your first lesson in food tasting. Your drink was laced with a poison called Butterfly's Dust. Mine wasn't. The only way to detect Butterfly's dust in a liquid is to gargle it. That rotten-orange flavor you tasted was the poison."**

Leif glared at Valek, but Yelena narrowed her eyes at him and he kept silent.

**I rose, my head spinning. "Is it lethal?"**

**"A big enough dose will kill you in two days. The symptoms don't arrive until the second day, but by then it's too late."**

**"Did I have a lethal dose?" I held my breath.**

**"Of course. Anything less and you wouldn't have tasted the poison."**

**My stomach rebelled and I started to gag. I forced down the bile in my throat, trying hard to avoid the indignity of vomiting all over Valek's desk.**

"Yes I would rather like to avoid that scenario as well," Valek commented, amused.

**Valek looked up from the stack of papers. He studied my face, "I warned you the training would be dangerous. But I would hardly give you a poison your body had to fight while you suffered from malnutrition. There is an antidote to Butterfly's Dust." He showed me a small vial containing a white liquid.**

**Collapsing back into my chair, I sighed. Valek's metal face had returned; I realized he hadn't offered the antidote to me.**

**"In answer to the question you didn't ask but should have, this-" Valek raised the small vial and shook it, "-is how we keep the Commander's food taster from escaping."**

**I stared at him, trying to understand the implication.**

**"Yelena, you confessed to murder. We would be fools to let you serve the Commander without some guarantees. Guards watch the Commander at all times and it is doubtful that you would be able to reach him with a weapon. For other forms of retaliation, we have Butterfly's dust." Valek picked up the vial of antidote, and twirled it in the sunlight. "You need a daily dose of this to stay alive. The antidote keeps the poison from killing you. As long as you show up in my office each morning I will give you the antidote. Miss one morning and you'll be dead by the next. Commit a crime or an act of treason and you'll be sent back to the dungeon until the poison takes you. I would avoid that fate if I were you. The poison causes severe stomach cramps and uncontrollable vomiting."**

"What did you never hear about using guards?" Leif said sarcastically. "Or, you know, locked doors?"

Yelena frowned at him, starting to speak, but Ari interrupted, sitting forward in his chair and looking at Leif with calm, serious eyes. "Would that be better? Truly?" He asked, sincerely, his gaze never wavering from Leif's.

Leif started to say vehemently that it would but Ari's gaze made him pause, thinking.

Ari nodded, murmuring quietly, "How can someone live any sort of life when surrounded by guards? When they have no freedom of any sort? How can you be sure the guards won't hurt them, because they consider them a criminal? A poison may be difficult to deal with on a mental level for some time, but once a person is used to it, taking the antidote becomes habit. much restricting than chains or soldiers, don't you think? but no less safe."

Leif stared at him for a long time before nodding reluctantly, looking between the two of them. It was hard to let go of his belief that the Ixian government was cruel needlessly, that the people under that government must be unhappy.

Sighing, Ari smiled at him softly, "There are reasons for our choices, just the same as your council, Leif. Maybe someday you'll be able to see that." He sat back and looked at Esau, gesturing for him to reason. Leif didn't look away from Ari, watching him thoughtfully as his father began to read again.

**Before full comprehension of my situation could sink in, Valek's eyes slid past my shoulder. I turned to see a stout woman in a housekeeper's uniform opening the door. Valek introduced her as Margg, the person who would take care of my basic needs. Expecting me to follow her, Margg strode out the door. **

**I glanced at the vial on Valek's desk.**

**"Come to my office tomorrow morning. Margg will direct you."**

**An obvious dismissal, but I paused at the door with all the questions I should have asked poised on my lips. I swallowed them. They sank like stone to my stomach, then I closed the door and hurried after Margg, who hadn't stopped to wait.**

**Margg never slowed her pace. I found myself panting with the effort to keep up.**

Janco frowned at that and scowled at the book, rubbing the scar where his ear used to be. "She should be more considerate, Yelena's exhausted!"

**Trying to remember the various corridors and turns, I soon gave as my whole world shrank to the sight of Margg's broad back and efficient stride. Her long black skirt seemed to float above the floor. The housekeeper uniform included a black shirt and white apron that hung from the neck down to the ankle and was cinched tight around the waist. The apron had two vertical rows of small red diamond shapes connected end to end. When Margg finally stopped at the baths, I had to sit on the floor to clear my spinning head.**

Janco's scowl deepened and Perl frowned in agreement.

**"You stink," Margg said, disgust creasing her wide face. She pointed to the far side of the baths in a manner that indicated she was used to being obeyed. "Wash twice, then soak. I'll bring you some uniforms." She left the room.**

"I can see why you were so quick to suspect her," Valek murmured to Yelena with an amused expression, "She really didn't give you a reason to like her."

Yelena chuckled and gave him a wry smile, "Wait."

Ari heard and his eyes narrowed at the implication. _She gets worse?_

**The over powering desire to bathe flashed like fire on my skin. Energized, I ripped the prison robe off and raced to the washing area. Hot water poured down in a cascade when I opened the duct above my head. The Commander's castle was equipped with heated water tanks located one floor above the baths, a luxury even Brazell's extravagant manor didn't have.**

Valek smirked, "I believe I had something to do with convincing him to keep them even though they were extravagant. They're a holdover from the king's rule, but I didn't see the point in ruining them since they were already built."

**I stood for a long time, hoping the drumming on my head would erase all thoughts of poisons. Obediently I washed my hair and body twice. My neck, wrists, and ankles burned from the soap, but I didn't care. I scrubbed two more times, rubbing hard at the stubborn spots of dirt on my skin, stopping only when I realized they were bruises.**

Frowning as he read, Esau glared at the book. Seeing his anger and guilt, Perl slid closer to him, resting her head on his shoulder in a silent, comforting gesture.

**I felt unconnected to the body under the waterfall. The pain and humiliation of being arrested and locked away had been inflicted on this body, but my soul had long since been driven out during the last two years I had lived at Brazell's manor house. **

Valek's eyes darkened with anger at the reminder. He would never forgive himself for allowing Brazell to continue what he had been doing for so long. I should have _known._

**An image of Brazell's son suddenly flashed before me, Reyad's handsome face distorted with rage. I stepped back, reflexively jerking my hands up to block him. The image disappeared, leaving me shaking.**

Leif looked at his sister with a worried, almost reluctant frown, as if afraid what he might hear if he asked the question that was on his mind, "...Yelena you only told us that you helped uncover what they had been doing, that they had been using the kidnapped children as magical fuel... you didn't tell us... I mean.." Leif hesitated but met his sister's eyes. "Did they try to do that to you too?"

Yelena's silence was answer enough and barely controlled anger flashed in Leif's eyes and he glared at the floor. Ari, who was sitting the closest to his chair, squeezed his shoulder lightly in a calming gesture. He knew now was not the time for the boy to have a break down. Leif looked up at him, meeting Ari's understanding gaze. He gave him a small smile, though anger and guilt still burned in his eyes. Ari removed his hand and they both looked to Esau to continue reading.

**It was an effort to dry off and wrap a towel around me. I tried to focus on finding a comb instead of the ugly memories Reyad's image had called forth.**

**Even clean, my snarled hair resisted the comb. As I searched for a pair of scissors, I spotted another person in the baths from the corner of my eye. I stared at the body. A corpse looked back at me. The green eyes were the only sign of life in the gaunt, oval face. Thin stick legs looked incapable of holding the rest of the body up.**

**Recognition shot through me like a cold splash of fear. It was ****_my_**** body. I averted my eyes from the mirror, having no desire to assess the damage. Coward, I thought, returning my gaze with a purpose. Had Reyad's death released my soul from where it had fled? In my mind I tried to reconnect my spirit to my body. Why did I think my soul would return if my body was still not mine. It belonged to Commander Ambrose to be used as a tool for filtering and testing poisons. I turned away.**

"It's interesting," Leif commented quietly, trying to lighten the mood some though he was obviously still upset. "All this talk of souls, Soulfinder." He cast an amused smirk at Yelena who made a face at him.

**Pulling clumps of knotted hair out with the comb, I arranged the rest into a single long braid down my back. **

**Not long ago all I had hoped for was a clean prison robe before my execution, and now here I was sinking into the Commander's famous hot baths.**

**"That's long enough," Marge barked, startling me out of a light doze. "Here are your uniforms. Get dressed." Her stiff face radiated disapproval.**

**As I dried myself, I felt Margg's impatience.**

**Along with some undergarments, the food taster's uniform consisted of black pants, a wide red satin belt and a red satin shirt with a line of small black diamond shapes down each sleeve. The clothes were obviously sized for a man. Malnourished and measuring only four inches past five feet, I looked like a child playing pretend with her father's clothes. I wrapped the belt three times around my waist and rolled up the sleeves and pant legs.**

Valek narrowed his eyes, "She gave you Oscove's uniform? That is laziness. I employ her because I trust her to hold her tongue and do her job well. This isn't showing either trait."

**Margg snorted. "Valek only told me to feed you and show you to your room. But I think we'll stop by the seamstress's first"**

"Which you should have done in the first place." Janco commented in annoyance.

**Pausing at the open door, Margg pursed her lips and added, "You'll need boots too."**

**Obediently, I followed Margg like a lost puppy.**

Janco snickered, "Well I know what I'm naming my next dog."

**The seamstress, Dilana, laughed gaily at my appearance. Her heart shaped face had a halo of curly blond hair. Honey-colored eyes and long eyelashes enhanced her beauty.**

Janco sighed, moony-eyed, and Ari hit him.

**"The stable boys wear the same pants and the kitchen maids wear the red shirts," Dilana said when she had stifled her giggles. She admonished Margg for not spending the time to find me better sized uniforms. Margg pushed her lips together tighter.**

**Fussing around me like a grandmother instead of a young woman, Dilana's attentions warmed me, pulling me towards her. I envisioned us becoming friends. She probably had many acquaintances and suitors who came to bask in her attentions like cave dwellers to a blazing hearth. I found myself aching to reach out to her.**

"She does that to everyone." Janco smiled, and he was more serious in his affectionate smile this time. "When I first was transferred to the Commander's castle guards she was my first friend. Introduced me to Ari actually." He grinned at his friend. "She tends to pick up strays, like Yelena and me."

**After writing my measurements down, Dilana searched through the piles of red, black, and white clothing stacked around the room.**

**Everyone who worked in Ixia wore a uniform. The Commander's castle servants and guards wore a variation of black, white, and red color clothes with vertical diamond shapes either down the sleeves of the shirts or down the sides of the pants. Advisors and higher ranking officers usually wore all black with small red diamonds stitched on the collars to show rank. The uniform system became mandatory when the Commander gained power so everyone knew at a glance who they were dealing with.**

"Lazy." Valek frowned. He liked the uniform law in theory but found that more than actually helping, it simple made people lazier about knowing who should actually be some place, rather than whether their uniform says they should be there.

**Black and red were Commander Ambrose's colors. The territory of Ixia had been separated into eight military districts each ruled by a General. The uniforms of the eight districts were identical to the Commander's except for the color. A housekeeper wearing black with purple diamonds stitched on her apron therefore worked in Military District 3 or MD-3.**

**"I think these should fit better." She handed me some clothes, gesturing to the privacy screen at the far end of the room.**

**While I was changing, I heard Dilana say, "She'll need boots." Feeling less foolish in my new clothes, I picked up the old uniforms and gave them to Dilana. **

**"These must have belonged to Oscove, the old food taster," Dilana said. A sad expression gripped her face for a moment before she shook her head as if to rid herself of an unwanted thought.**

**All my fantasies of friendship fled me-**

"Don't say that!" Janco protested. "Dilana would still want to be your friend!"

**as I realized that being friends with the Commander's food taster was a big emotional risk. My stomach hollowed out while Dilana's warmth leaked from me, leaving a cold bitterness behind.**

**A sharp stab of loneliness struck me as an unwanted image of May and Carra, who still lived at Brazell's manor, flashed before my eyes. My fingers twitched to fix Carra's crooked braids and to straighten May's skirt.**

Valek sighed sadly and hugged Yelena close, remembering her distress when they had found Carra at last. She pressed her face into his shoulder, closing her vibrant green eyes.

**Instead of Carra's silky ginger hair in my hands, I held a stack of clothes. Dilana guided me to a chair. Kneeling on the floor, she put socks on my feet and then a pair of boots. The boots were made of soft black leather They came up over my ankle to midcalf where the leather folded down. Dilana tucked my pant leg into the boots and helped me stand. I hadn't worn shoes in seasons and I expected them to chafe. But the boots cushioned my feet, and fit well. I smiled at Dilana, thoughts of May and Carra temporarily banished. These were the finest pair of boots I'd ever worn.**

**She smiled back and said, "I can always pick the right size boots without having to measure."**

**Margg harrumphed. "You didn't get poor Rand's boots right. He's too smitten with you to complain. Now he limps around the kitchen"**

Valek raised an eyebrow at that comment. "...That is not why he limped."

**"Don't pay any attention to her," Dilana said to me. "Margg, don't you have work to do? Get going or I'll sneak into you room and shorten all your skirts." Dilana shooed us good naturedly out the door.**

"You're moony-eyed again." Leif commented, grinning at Janco."

Janco sighed and nodded. "I know. She's just so..."

"Pretty?" Leif suggested

"Kind?" Ari offered.

"Devious!" Janco sighed and the other two laughed and shook their heads. Leif looked up in surprise at the camaraderie he felt with the blond haired man, and smiled at him. Ari smiled back.

**Margg took me to the servants' dining room and served me small portions of soup and bread. The soup tasted divine. After devouring the food, I asked for more.**

"You can't." Perl said with an unhappy expression. "It'll make you sick if you're as malnourished as you sound."

Esau chuckled, reading on.

**"No. Too much will make you sick." Was all she said. With reluctance, I left my bowl on the table to follow Margg to my room.**

**"At sunrise be ready to work."**

**Once again I watched her retreating back.**

**My small room contained a narrow bed with a single stained mattress on a stark metal frame, a plain wooden desk and chair, a chamber pot, an armoire, a lantern, a tiny woodstove, and one window shuttered tight. The grey stone walls were unadorned. I tested the mattress; it barely yielded. A vast improvement over my dungeon cell, yet I found myself somewhat dissatisfied.**

"I agree." Valek murmured after a moment, a frown creasing his brow. "Treating the food simply like a prisoner still will only breed hatred. Some safeguards are necessary, but consideration to the person should be as well. I shall have to reevaluate this when I return."

Ari nodded in agreement, and Yelena smiled.

**Nothing in the room suggested softness. With my mind and eyes filled with Valek's metal face and Margg's censure, and the harsh cut and colors of the uniforms, I longed for a blanket. I felt like a lost child looking for something to clutch, something supple that wouldn't end up hurting me.**

**After hanging my extra uniforms in the armoire, I crossed to the window. There was a sill wide enough for me to sit on. The shutters were locked but the latches were on the inside. Hands shaking, I unlocked and pushed the shutters wide, blinking in the sudden light. Shielding my eyes, I squinted beneath my hand, and stared at the scene in front of my window in disbelief. I was on the first floor of the castle! Five feet below was the ground.**

**Between my room and the stables were the Commander's kennels and the exercise yard for the horses. The stable boys and dog trainers wouldn't care if I escaped. I could drop down without any effort and be gone, Tempting, except for the fact that I would be dead in two days. Maybe another time, when two days of freedom might be worth the price.**

**I could hope.**

"That's the end of the chapter" Esau said.

Valek raised an eyebrow at Yelena, an amused smirk playing at his lips. "Already planning your escape?"

She laughed but shrugged, smiling at him. "Obviously not. I didn't leave" She looked at the group, "One more chapter?" She asked, to many nods and assents.

Leif picked up the book and cleared his throat.

"Chapter Three"


	4. Chapter 3

_Hey guys._

_I'm sorry I left you without an update for so long, but this summer was absolute crap. My depression flared up awfully and I had to take two summer classes, so this just didn't get done. Sadly, this has to be one of my lowest priorities, but I'm not giving it up. I also think I've found a quicker way to go about it, so we may get more updates faster now. No promises, but I'm trying. Thank you for all of the wonder full reviews I've been getting, they're the only reason I forced up the motivation to put out this chapter. So I'm not going to beg for reviews, but they definitely give me motivation to work on this. Anyway, I'll let you get to the story. Poison Study isn't mine, it belongs totally to the wonderful Maria V. Snyder._

* * *

**Chapter 3**

Leif's eyes darkened immediately at the words on the page, and he hesitated a moment before forcing himself to speak.

**Reyad's whip cut into my skin, slashing my flesh with a burning pain. "Move," he ordered.**

Yelena closed her eyes, trying to block out the flood of memories the book's words called forth.

**I dodged ineffectively, hampered by the rope tied to my wrist, which anchored me to a post in the center of the room.**

**"Move faster, keep moving!" Reyad shouted.**

**The whip snapped again and again. My tattered shirt gave no protection from the stinging leather. A cool soothing voice entered my skull. "Go away," it whispered. "Send your mind to a distant place, a warm loving place. Let your body go."**

Perl paled, clutching at her throat. She hadn't realized how bad it had been. How close they had gotten to breaking Yelena's mind.

**The silken voice didn't belong to Reyad or Brazell. A savior, perhaps? An easy way to escape the torment, tempting but I held out for another opportunity. Determined, I stayed, focusing on avoiding the lash. When exhaustion claimed me, my body began to vibrate of its own accord. Like an out-of-control hummingbird, I darted around the room, avoiding the whip. **

**I woke in darkness soaked with sweat, my crumpled uniform twisted tight around my body. The vibration in my dream replaced by a pounding. Before falling asleep, I had wedged a chair under the doorknob to prevent anyone from barging in. The chair rattled with each thud. **

**"I'm up," I shouted. The racket stopped. When I opened the door, Margg stood frowning with a lantern. I hastened to change my uniform and joined her in the hallway. "I thought you said sunrise."**

**Her disapproving stare seared my lips shut. "It ****_is_**** sunrise."**

Valek sighed with a slightly amused but annoyed expression."She put you on the western side of the castle. Of course she did. She goes out of her way to have things to be grumpy about."

**I followed Margg through the labyrinth of the castle's hidden hallways as the day began to brighten. My room faced west, shielding me from the morning sun. Margg extinguished the lantern just as the scent of sweet cakes filled the air.**

**Inhaling, I asked her, "Breakfast?" A hopeful, almost pleading, note crept into my voice, galling me.**

"You shouldn't be ashamed of that, Yelena!" Perl said, looking at her daughter with a small frown. "You were practically starved in that dungeon!"

Yelena didn't respond. It was beyond strange to have everyone sitting around and discussing her life.

**"No. Valek will feed you."**

**The image of a breakfast laced with poison did wonders for suppressing my appetite. **

A laugh burst from Valek and he quirked a smile at Yelena. "Hmm. I wonder why?" He teased, his sapphire eyes bright with amusement.

**My stomach tightened as the unwanted memory of Valek's Butterfly's Dust came to my mind. By the time we had reached his office, I had convinced myself that I was about to collapse, soon to be vanquished by the poison if I didn't receive the antidote.**

**When I entered the room, Valek was in the process of arranging plates of steaming food. He had cleared off a section of the table. The displaced papers balanced in messy piles. He gestured to a chair; I sat, searching the table for the small vial of antidote.**

**"I hope you're..." Valek studied my face. I stared back, trying not to flinch under his scrutiny.**

**"It's amazing what a difference a bath and a uniform can make," Valek said, absently chewing on a slice of bacon. "I'll have to remember that. It might be useful in the future." Placing two plates of an egg and ham mixture before me, he said, "Let's get started."**

**Feeling dizzy and flushed, I blurted out, "I'd rather start with the antidote." Another long pause from Valek caused me to fidget in my seat.**

**"You shouldn't be feeling any symptoms. They won't arrive until later this afternoon." He shrugged and went to his cabinet. He used a pipette to extract a measure of the white liquid from a large bottle, and then locked the antidote back inside the cabinet. My interest in the location of the key must have been obvious because Valek used some sleight of hand to make the key disappear.**

"It wasn't really that." Valek reassured quietly to Yelena. "Simply an understanding of human nature. The same way I expected you to break into my office."

**Handing me the pipette, he sat down on the opposite side of the table.**

**"Drink up so we can start today's lessons." he said.**

**I squeezed the contents into my mouth, cringing at the bitter taste. Valek took the pipette from my hnds and exchanged it for a blue jar. "Take a sniff."**

**The jar contained a white powder, resemblling sugar but smelling like rosewood. Gesturing to the two plates cooling in front of me, Valek asked me to pick the one sprinkled with the poison. I sniffed at the food like a scent hound nosing for prey. A faint odor of rosewood emanated from the left plate.**

**"Good. Should you pick up that aroma from any of the Comander's food, reject it. The poison is called Tigtus and a single grain of the powder will kill within the hour." Valek removed the poisoned food. "Eat your breakfast." He indicated the other plate. "You'll need your strength."**

Perl frowned, wanting to speak up on behalf of her daughter, overworked and mistreated for something that she couldn't help. She couldn't honestly believe her daughter would kill anyone, although she had said that it was her. the woman curled against her husband with a deep frown. Everything these books told her felt so wrong.

**I spent the remainder of the day smelling poisons until my head ached and spun. The multitude of names and aromas began to confuse me so I asked Valek for some paper, a quill and ink. He stilled**

**I don't know why you continue to surprise me. I should have remembered that General Brazell educates his orphans. Valek flung a book of papers, a quill, and ink down in front of me. "Take them back to your room. We've done enough for today."**

**I silently cursed myself for reminding Valek why I had been the next person to be executed as I gathered the book and writing implements. Valek's hard unforgiving expression revealed his thoughts. Taken off the street, fed and educated by Brazell, I had repaid Brazell's kindness by murdering his only child. I knew Valek would never believe the truth about Brazell and Reyad. **

**General Brazell's orphanage was a topic of ridicule among the other generals. They thought he had gone 'soft' after the takeover of Ixia fifteen years ago. This impression suited Brazell. seen as a kindly old benefactor, Brazell could continue unchallenged in his administration of District 5.**

Leif stopped reading and glared at Valek, "How the _hell_ did _you_ not know about this? You're supposed to be some great omniscient spy, how did you not know what Brazell was doing?"

Before Valek could respond, Yelena put a hand on her brother's arm and murmured in a tired voice, "Please Leif... let's just finish this chapter quickly." Although he was still glaring at Valek, Leif nodded reluctantly, and lowered his eyes back to the page.

**I hesitated at the entrance of Valek's office, noticing for the first time the three complex locks on the thick wooden fingering the locking mechanisms, I lingered in the doorway until Valek asked, "Now what?"**

**"I'm not sure where my room is." **

**Valek spoke as if talking to a slow-witted child. "Ask the first housekeeper or kitchen maid you find, they're always scurrying about this time of day. Tell her you're in the west servant wing, ground-floor. She'll show you."**

**The kitchen maid I snared helping me with more talkative than Margg and I took full advantage of her good nature. She guided me to the laundry room to obtain some linens for my bed. Then I had her show me the way to the baths and seamstress's work area. Dilana's piles of uniforms might come in handy someday.**

**In my room, I opened the shutters to let in the fading light from the setting sun. Sitting down at my desk, I wrote exhausted notes on what I have learned that day, including a rough map of the servants' quarters. I considered more exploration of the castle, but Valek had been right, I needed my strength. I hoped I would have time to explore later.**

**During the next two weeks, the training proceeded in a manner so similar to the first day that I lapsed into a routine, arriving at Valek's every morning to train. After fourteen days of sniffing poisons, I found my sense of smell had heightened. But then Valek announced I was strong enough to begin tasting poisons.**

**"I'll start with the deadliest one," he said. "if you don't die from it, the other poisons won't kill you either. I don't want to waste all my time training you only to see you die in the end." He placed a slender red bottle on his desk. "It's nasty. Affects the body immediately." Valek's eyes lit up as he admired the poison. "It's called Have a Drink, My Love or My Love for short, because the poison has a history of being used by disheartened wives." He squeezed two drops of the poison into a steaming cup. "A larger dose would definitely kill you. With a smaller dose, there's a chance you'll survive, but you'll become delusional, paranoid and completely disoriented for the next few days."**

Esau's eyes widened and Perl gasped worriedly, Leif looked ready to yell at Valek again: obviously none of them had realized that she would have to actually taste the poison on purpose. Ari and Janco were unconcerned. Yelena was here and safe obviously, and Ari remembered, having tasted the poison helped her later on. Yelena simply sat closer to Valek, grateful for the warmth of his arm around her. They hadn't had time to simply relax and be together for so long, and even then it was short lived. Whatever reading these books felt like, it was worth it for this precious time with him.

**"Valek, why do I have to taste my love if it has immediate results? Isn't that what a food taster is for? I taste the Commander's food. I keel over, dead. End of the tale." I tried pacing around the room but kept tripping over stacks of books. Frustrated, I kicked two piles into their neighbors, scattering books into a messy heap on the floor. Valek's gaze pierced me, draining me of the feeling of satisfaction I'd gotten from kicking the books.**

"A food taster's job is much more complex than that," Valek explained, pulling his hair back from his face. "Being able to identify which poison taints the Commander's food may lead me to the poisoner." Valek handed me the cup. "Even if you only have a split second to shout out My Love before passing out, it would narrow down the list of suspects. There are a number of assassins who are partial to my love. The poison is grown in Sitia, the southern lands. It was easy to obtain before the takeover. With the closure of the southern border, only a handful of people have enough money to purchase it illegally."

Valek went over to the mess on the floor and started re-stacking the books. His movements were so graceful that I wondered if he had been a dancer, but his words betrayed to me that his fluid gestures were those of a trained killer.

"Fire dancer?" Valek murmured softly in Yelena's ear, teasing her.

She smiled a little, "Why of course. What other kind could you be? You could never do something safe."****

"Yelena, your job is very important. That's why I spend so much time training you. A shrewd assassin can watch a taster for several days to discover a pattern." Valek continued his lecture from the floor. "For example, the taster might always cut a piece of meat on the left side or never stir the drink. Some poisons sink to the bottom of the cup. If the taster only sips off the top, then the assassin knows exactly where to place the poison to kill his intended victim." He finished picking up the books. The new piles were neater than the rest of the stacks on the floor. It seemed an invitation to Valek to continue straightening the books. He cleared a bigger path through his office.

"Once you drink the poison, Margg will help you to your room and take care of you. I'll give her your daily dose of Butterfly's Dust antidote."

I stared at the steam drifting from the tea. I picked up the cup, the heat warming my icy hands. When Margg entered the room, it felt as if the executioner had just mounted the dais, reaching for the lever. Should I sit down or lie down? I looked around the room, seeing nothing. My arms started to tingle as I realized I'd been holding my breath.

I raised the cup and in a mock salute, and then drained the contents. "Sour apples," I said.

Valek nodded. I had only enough time to put the cup on the table before my world began to melt. Margg's body undulated toward me. Her large head sprouted flowers from her eye sockets. A moment later her body filled the room has her head shriveled. I sensed movement. The grey walls grew arms and legs that reached for me, trying to use me in their fight against the floor. Grey spirits rose from under my feet. They dived, poked and cackled at me. They were my freedom. I tried to push the Margg thing away, but it clung and wrapped itself around me, digging through my ears and pounding on my head.

"Murderer," it whispered. "sneaky bitch. You probably slit his throat while he slept. Easy way to kill. You enjoy yourself as you watched his blood soak the sheets? You're nothing but a rat."

Valek's arm tightened around Yelena, his eyes hardening into chips of sapphire ice. He trusted Margg, but by no stretch of the imagination did that mean he liked her. She was completely out of line saying these things.****

I grabbed at the voice, trying to make it stop, but it turned into two green and black toy soldiers who held me tight.

"She'll die from the poison. If not you can take her," the Margg thing said to the soldiers.

"That's just the paranoia isn't it?" Janco asked, frowning.

Yelena didn't answer and his frown deepened further. He reached up to rub absently at the scar where the lower half of his ear used to be.****

They pushed me into a dark pit. I plunged into blackness.

The stench of vomit and excrement greeted me when I regained consciousness. They were the unmistakable odors of the dungeon. Wondering how I have ended up Buck in my cell, I sat up. A surge of nausea demanded my attention. I groped for the slop pot and encountered the metal leg of a bed which I clutched as dry heaves racked my body. When they stopped, I leaned against the wall, grateful to be on the floor of my room and not back in the dungeon. Beds were a luxury not included with the subterranean accommodations.

Summoning the strength to stand, I located and lit my lantern. Dried vomit caked my face. My shirt and pants were soaking wet and smelled foul. The liquid contents of my body had collected and in a puddle on the floor.

Margg took good care of me I thought sarcastically. At least she was practical. If she had dumped me on the bed I would've ruined the mattress.

I thanked fate that I had survived the poison and that I had awakened in the middle of the night. Unable to endure the feel of my sodden uniform any longer, I made my way to the baths.

On my return, voices stopped me before I reached the hallway leading to my room. Extinguishing my lantern in one quick motion, I peaked around the corner. Two soldiers stood in front of my door. The soft light of their lantern reflected the green and black colors of their uniforms- Brazell's colors.

"WHAT?!" Perl shouted, sitting up straight and staring at the book in Leif's hands in horror. "She actually sold you out to them? But they can't do anything can they? You're the commander's food taster now..." She trailed off, looking to Yelena and Valek for reassurance.

His voice cold and stiff, Valek murmured, "Not legally. She should be safe, but obviously, General Brazell wasn't concerned about breaking the law."

Leif opened his mouth, glaring daggers at Valek, but Ari beat him to it. The large soldier stood up and put a hand on his shoulder, his voice quiet. "Leif, leave it. Come talk to me. You'll have time to berate Valek later, _after_ you understand things better.

Leif frowned at him but eventually let Ari pull him aside into one of the bedrooms to talk.

Esau picked up the book, frowning, as he murmured, "That was the end of the chapter."

"Then let's go to bed?" requested Yelena, and most of the room nodded, standing and wandering off to their respective rooms.

End Chapter 3


End file.
